Kids, dogs - they are a perfect match

Did your kids turn out not quite as you planned? Once they’ve fled the nest, you can conjure up the perfect replacement.

Long hair or short, male or female, active or idle - you get to choose. A new campaign by the Pedigree Adoption Drive Charitable Trust is aimed at empty nesters through an interactive website.

It helps match dogs with the physical characteristics of kids who have moved out. The website takes you through a number of questions, which begin with asking your child’s name.

It then progresses to preferred details - big or little eater, socialite or hermit - and eventually you get the perfect match with one of the dogs in the participating Waikato shelters.

‘‘The kids may have headed off on their OE or university and parents are left alone at home and looking for a bit of companionship and this is what the dogs can obviously provide,’’ Cormac van den Hoofdakker, said.

‘‘We’ve had kids tagging their parents on social media, asking if they are going to replace them now.’’

Psychologist Sara Chatwin says the impact of having an empty nest on mental health should not be underestimated and it can manifest itself in a number of ways. Some may feel depressed or anxious when there are fewer people in the home.

‘‘Having spent much of their life looking after children and

trust spokesman, caring for them, parents can have difficulties coming to terms with a house that isn’t so busy and frenetic,’’ Chatwin said.

The website connects people with a dog and then, if they wish to adopt the animal, they are referred to the individual shelters and their adoption process. The campaign, which began two weeks ago, has attracted plenty of attention and will continue into next month.

There are currently 100 dogs listed on the website, but shelters may have more available once they are contacted.